


Because You Brighten Up My Day

by st4rlabsforever (omaken)



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Very Light on the Hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 22:54:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10545736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omaken/pseuds/st4rlabsforever
Summary: Cisco’s been in a slump ever since Cindy left on bad terms. Barry’s there to cheer him up.





	

It's been a week now since Cisco and Cindy parted ways. A week since Cisco decided to hole up in his apartment and become a virtual shut-in. A week since Barry began trying to cheer his best friend up.

He remembers how supportive Cisco was when he and Iris went through their rough patch. In fact, Cisco’s been there for him since the beginning, and Barry feels more than obligated to return the favor. Except this is so much worse than that. At least when Barry took up residence on Cisco’s couch, he had his musicals to preoccupy him. Cisco, on the other hand, has been curled up at the end of his couch since Monday, and on Friday Barry isn't entirely certain he's moved at all.

“Come on, up.” Barry peels the myriad blankets off of Cisco and pinches his nose at the smell. Right, then. Shower first. He flashes off to the bathroom to turn on the shower head, then back to Cisco, who’s wrapped himself right back up in the glorious, quilted likeness of the Enterprise.

Barry groans, rethinking his approach. It _might_ be that a more firm touch is necessary, which, Barry can readily admit, he's _terrible_ at. That was more Iris’s speed, and yet Barry feels a personal obligation to be the one to help Cisco out of his funk.

“ _Up_ ,” he says, louder this time, then yanks the blankets off and hides them under the couch for good measure.

Cisco actually grumbles. Burrows his head as far into the cushions as he can. It's not like Barry can't sympathize, but really, this has gone on long enough. He flashes behind the couch, hooking his hands beneath Cisco’s armpits in an attempt to haul him off to the shower. Heavy-handed, maybe, but it's not like Cisco’s ever been afraid to manhandle Barry when the situation warranted it.

He pulls Cisco upright when a high-pitched squeak gives him pause.

“Cisco…?”

“Ah! Sorry,” he says, blinking the sleep from his eyes. “I – ah! – I'm really fine, promise.” It's not entirely the truth, but Cisco’s squirming and quiet giggling is much more interesting.

Well, okay then. He could work with this. He could _definitely_ work with this.

“So, do you mind leaving me alone now?”

“See, I was planning to run us down to Puerto Rico and spend _a lot_ of money on food for you, but–” and Barry tries his hardest not to smirk too broadly, but thinks he probably doesn't succeed “–now I have an alternative, and it's free.”

“And what’s that?” Cisco says shakily, mostly on account of Barry wiggling his fingers as he extracts them from under Cisco’s arms.

Barry grins, and flashes around the front side of couch. “Just to clarify, you're ticklish?”

“Umm, no?”

But Barry doesn't miss the way Cisco immediately wraps his arms around himself, and neither, it seems, does Cisco. They’re motionless for a moment. Cisco stares with wide eyes. Barry grins even more widely. He contemplates his next move, then cracks his knuckles and plops down next to Cisco, slings an arm over his shoulders, pulls him close.

Cisco gulps. “Oh, look! I’m feeling so much better already, so I guess I’ll just mosey on out of here.”

“Nice try.” Barry reels Cisco back in, pulls him closer, fingers dancing in the crooks of Cisco’s armpits, over his belly and across his ribs. He slips a finger into Cisco’s navel and gives a gentle vibration, and _oops_. Cisco is shaking from the effort of holding his laughter in, and maybe, just maybe Barry could do to hold back on the teasing, but Barry’s never known himself to hold back from taunting bank robbers and rogue metas alike, and it’s not really like he can help himself in this case – not when he sees the smile fighting its way onto Cisco’s face.

“Seriously, man,” Barry says breezily, “you’ll feel so much better when you let it all out. Promise.”

“I’m – aha! – I’m really not – not hah! –” Cisco shakes his head violently, bites down on his lower lip to prevent his giggles from turning into something more.

“Not what?” Barry says, tone just a smidge on the wrong side of patronizing. And Cisco shoots him a glare, but is forced to abort when Barry manages to slip a hand under his arm, fingers probing for any particularly ticklish bits.

“I’m fine!” Cisco whines, flailing harder now.

“But you’re not,” Barry says. “Look, I wasn’t fine when Iris and I went through our breakup, but you were kinda the only one that looked out for me.” He wiggles all the way into the hollow of Cisco’s underarm. Cisco laughs, full-throated and unrestrained. Bullseye. “I dunno, man. I just – it feels like our friendship isn’t reciprocal, and I want to change that, so I’m here ‘til you’re out of your slump, dude. And after that, too.”

Of course, it’s mostly a one-sided conversation on account of Cisco laughing too hard to respond, but that’s just as well, because big sappy speeches are kind of Barry’s forte, and getting one off uninterrupted is really fine by him.

Cisco squeezes his eyes shut, shakes his head vigorously like he’s still trying to deny that he’s even ticklish at all. He manages to extricate himself from Barry’s prying fingers, but yelps when Barry’s free hand finds its mark – probably the only time Barry has ever found his too-lanky limbs an advantage.

And Cisco’s face is streaked with tears, his forehead covered in sweat, his hair uncharacteristically tousled. When Barry lays off, Cisco curls up in a protective ball. The residual giggles cause him to twitch occasionally.

“Feeling any better?” Barry asks. He gets a kick in return, which might be slightly warranted.

Cisco peeks his head out. “Not really,” he says, but the smile that seems to be permanently etched on his face says otherwise. “Let’s get out and do something though, maybe Puerto Rico?”

Barry positively beams. Success.

Cisco rolls his eyes. “Don’t get the wrong idea – I just can’t sit still with all this adrenaline in me now. Your fault, really.”

Barry’s smile only gets wider, his eyes squinting. “Allow me to make it up to you then.” He scoops Cisco up in a bridal carry.

“And Cisco?”

“Yeah?”

“You and Cindy are gonna be fine, just like me and Iris.”

“Just run already, would you?”

Barry takes off at breakneck speed, reveling in the feeling of the wind on his cheeks and through his hair. The running shower is completely forgotten, but he’ll make sure this weekend is fantastic.

**Author's Note:**

> check me out on [tumblr](http://st4rlabsforever.tumblr.com)


End file.
